WJPA Sports

Washington & Jefferson ran for 322 yards and scored on its first six possessions, beating Westminster, 44-14, Saturday afternoon, clinching the outright Presidents Athletic Conference championship. Andrew Sharp, the nation’s leader in touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and total points, added to those numbers with three first-half rushing touchdowns, part of his 22-for-249 rushing performance. The junior finished the regular season with 1,473 yards and 24 rushing touchdowns. W&J had already clinched the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament and the win virtually clinched a first-round bye (Nov. 210. Now, the Presidents wait to see if their NPI ranking is good enough to get a home game in the second round (Nov. 28). The entire tournament bracket will be released by the NCAA Sunday afternoon.

There will be a new PIAA Boys 1A soccer champion as Bentworth’s title defense came to an end with an overtime loss to Mercyhurst Prep, 2-1. The Bearcats had ended the Lakers’ seasons two years in a row in the state tournament. Bentworth won the 2025 state title after falling in the 2024 championship match.

Peters Township girls volleyball was the only winner among the three local teams in PIAA quarterfinal matches Saturday. The Indians swept West Chester Rustin, 3-0, to advance to the semifinals Tuesday against Shaler. 2A Fort Cherry and 3A Waynesburg lost to WPIAL champions and have been eliminated.  The PIAA soccer finals are scheduled for FNB Stadium at Station Square. Girls volleyball finals will be played at St. Francis University in Loretto. Championship weekend is set for Nov. 20-21. (PIAA District-district finish).

PIAA Quarterfinals, Saturday, Nov. 14
PIAA Soccer Brackets
1A Boys10-1 Mercyhurst Prep over 7-1 Bentworth, 2-1 OT Watch/Listen Here

PIAA Girls Volleyball Brackets
3A 7-1 Freeport over 7-3 Waynesburg, 3-0 (25-16, 25-11, 25-10)
2A 7-1 OLSH over 7-3 Fort Cherry, 3-0 (25-16, 26-24, 25-16)
5A 7-1 Peters Township over 1-3 West Chester Rustin, 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-15)

PIAA Semifinals, Tuesday, Nov. 17
5A 7-1 Peters Township vs. 7-3 Shaler, site/time to be announced

Canon-McMillan earned a trip to its first-ever WPIAL Football championship game with a Rhys Maentz 36-yard field goal with one second remaining. The Big Macs drove 67 yards in 12 plays to set up the winning kick. CM beat North Allegheny for the second time this season, and the second time ever, to earn a rematch with 6A #1 Central Catholic next Saturday night at Pine-Richland.

Wash High got 129 yards and four touchdowns from Ameer Nelson, cruising past Beth-Center and into the 1A semifinals next Friday night. The Little Prexies held B-C to five yards total offense in the first half on just 13 plays. Then, Wash High picked off three Bulldogs’ passes after intermission to seal the win, putting the Little Prexies into a second game this year with Fort Cherry. The Rangers got 118 yards and two touchdowns from Eli Salvini, plus scores from Ryan Huey and Landon Trnavsky in their quarterfinal round win over Laurel. The win was the second this year for Fort Cherry against the Spartans. Now, they get another shot at Wash High. California’s season ended in a loss to #3 Clairton.

Aaron Strader ran for two scores and threw a TD pass, leading Pine-Richland over Trinity. Ayvari Chandler scored on a 51-yard pass from Owen Samogala pulling Trinity to with 14-6 in the first half, but the Hillers couldn’t find the endzone. Neither team scored after intermission. Pine-Richland advanced to the semifinals for the 13th straight season. Click for WPIAL brackets

WPIAL Second Round, Friday, Nov. 13 Scores
1A Quarterfinals #1 Wash High over #8 Beth-Center, 35-7 Watch/Listen Here
1A Quarterfinals #4 Fort Cherry over Laurel, 28-0 Watch/Listen Here
1A Quarterfinals #3 Clairton over #6 California, 28-8 Watch/Listen Here
5A Quarterfinals #1 Pine-Richland over #8 Trinity, 24-6 Watch/Listen Here
6A Semifinals #2 Canon-McMillan over #3 North Allegheny, 24-21 Watch/Listen Here

The Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to ground all flights nationwide Friday caused chaos in the sports world. NBA, NHL, and college teams scrambled to reach their destinations for weekend games. Transportation officials cited “extraordinary circumstances” due to communications issues. Some teams searched for hotel rooms, rescheduled flights, or even chartered buses. The Southeastern Conference moved Mississippi’s football game at Oklahoma from Saturday to Sunday. Other college teams like Texas and Tennessee returned to campuses during the stoppage. The Big 12 adjusted game times, and NBA teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers faced travel disruptions. NFL teams were expected to fly as planned Saturday.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Baltimore Ravens coach Jesse Minter says quarterback Lamar Jackson is recovering from a broken and dislocated thumb — and that it typically takes six to 10 weeks to heal from that type of injury. Jackson was hurt in Week 8 against Buffalo. This was the first time Minter and the Ravens offered any real detail on the injury. The update came in the form of a statement on social media, and Minter cautioned that timelines are difficult to predict. Baltimore hosts the winless Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night.